He also liked to draw from an early age, but he has noted that his teachers didn’t think he was very good at it. “I had whole imaginary kingdoms that I made up stories about – with governments and populations,” he once told Authors Online Library. As a child he was fond of making up stories and acting them out with toy soldiers or dolls with his own handmade scenery as a backdrop. And a Clifford balloon has soared in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as well, debuting in 1990 and just recently going into retirement.īridwell was born Februin Kokomo, Ind. His likeness can also be found on a broad range of licensed items including clothing and games.

Adding to his fame, Clifford became a TV star in 2000 with the launch of the PBS Kids animated series based on the books. The books in the Clifford series, all published by Scholastic, to date number more than 129 million copies in print and have been translated into 13 languages. Bridwell took further family inspiration when creating the Emily Elizabeth character in the Clifford stories she is named for the Bridwells’ daughter. But the author’s wife, Norma, suggested that the dog be named after her own childhood imaginary friend, Clifford. He was 86.īridwell’s famous pup, introduced in 1963, was originally going to be called Tiny. Other Bridwell books include “A Tiny Family” and “The Witch Next Door.”īridwell is survived by his wife, Norma, his daughter Emily Elizabeth, his son Timothy and three grandchildren.Norman Bridwell, creator of more than 150 titles starring the iconic Clifford the Big Red Dog, died on Martha’s Vineyard on Friday, December 12.

“Clifford, the Big Red Dog” was succeeded by such titles as “Clifford Gets a Job,” “Clifford and the Grouchy Neighbors” and “Clifford Follows His Nose.” Bridwell’s manuscript was turned down by nine publishers before Scholastic put it out. The original Clifford story was about a runty pup who grows into a gigantic dog thanks to Emily Elizabeth’s care. Clifford’s friend, Emily Elizabeth, takes her name from one of Bridwell’s children. Bridwell originally wanted to name him “Tiny,” but his wife convinced him otherwise. “Norman personified the values that we as parents and educators hope to communicate to our children – kindness, compassion, helpfulness, gratitude – through the Clifford stories which have been loved for more than 50 years.”Ĭlifford, an oversized, clumsy but good-natured dog whose curiosity sometimes gets him into mischief, was born in 1963. Norman Bridwell wrote dozens of books about 'Clifford the Big Red Dog.' Courtesy Scholastic

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